Udang Cherry Bertelur: Breeding Neocaridina Shrimp in Malaysia
When udang cherry bertelur, the female carries a cluster of yellow, green or dark eggs under her tail, fanning them with her swimmerets for roughly 2–4 weeks until tiny, fully formed shrimplets hatch. A female carrying eggs is called "berried". Cherry shrimp breed readily in Malaysian room temperatures, so if your colony isn't growing, the problem is usually stress, poor minerals or predators, not the shrimp. This guide covers the signs of breeding, why females drop eggs, how to raise more shrimplets, and how to select for colour.
Udang Cherry Bertelur: The Breeding Cycle at a Glance
| Stage | What you see | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Saddle | Yellow or green patch on the female's back (developing eggs in the ovaries) | Days to weeks before mating |
| Moult and mating | Female moults; males suddenly swim around frantically searching for her | Within a day of the moult |
| Berried | Eggs move under the tail; female fans them constantly | Right after mating |
| Developing eggs | Eggs darken; tiny eyes become visible | Over 2–4 weeks; faster in warmer water |
| Hatching | Shrimplets about 1–2 mm long appear on moss and plants | End of carrying period |
| Next clutch | Female can be berried again soon after | Often within weeks |
A typical clutch is around 20–30 eggs, and large mature females can carry more.
How to Tell Males and Females
- Females are larger, have a deeper, rounded underside to hold eggs, and are usually more strongly coloured.
- Males are smaller, slimmer and often paler, especially in lower grades.
- A saddle on the back is a sure sign of a mature female.
Start with about 10 or more shrimp to get a good mix.
Ideal Conditions for Breeding
| Factor | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Temperature | About 22–28°C; Malaysian room temperature usually fine, avoid going above about 30°C |
| Water | Stable pH 6.5–8, GH about 6–8; zero ammonia and nitrite |
| Tank maturity | Several months old, with plenty of biofilm |
| Filter | Sponge filter or covered intake |
| Cover | Java moss, floating plants, leaf litter |
| Tankmates | None, or only snails and very small peaceful fish |
| Food | Varied, small amounts; mineral-rich shrimp food |
Malaysian tap water is often soft, so add a shrimp mineral supplement if GH is low. Females need minerals both to moult and to produce eggs. See our udang cherry care guide for the full setup.
Why Do Cherry Shrimp Drop Their Eggs?
Females sometimes drop eggs before they hatch. Common causes:
- Young or first-time females often drop their first clutch. This usually improves.
- Stress from a big water change, especially a sudden temperature, pH or hardness change. Change smaller amounts, add water slowly, and always use anti klorin.
- Moulting too soon: if a berried female moults, she loses the eggs. Unstable water or overheating can trigger this.
- Poor water quality: ammonia or nitrite spikes from overfeeding.
- Harassment by fish or by too many males.
- Heat: water above about 30°C plus low oxygen stresses berried females. Run an air pump, shade the tank and use a fan in heatwaves.
- Infertile eggs: occasionally a clutch isn't fertilised and is dropped.
Dropped eggs rarely survive on their own. Some keepers try egg tumblers, but for most hobbyists the better fix is to remove the stress so the next clutch goes full term.
Raising More Shrimplets
Newborn shrimplets are tiny and look like miniature adults. They eat biofilm from day one.
- Moss and floating plants: java moss, Christmas moss and floating plants such as salvinia, frogbit or water lettuce give cover and grow biofilm. Dangling roots are a favourite grazing spot.
- Covered filter intake: a sponge pre-filter prevents shrimplets being sucked in.
- Fine foods: powdered shrimp food, crushed pellets or "baby shrimp" foods spread biofilm-style.
- Leaf litter: ketapang or mulberry leaves break down into a feeding surface.
- No predators: guppies, bettas, tetras and most fish will eat shrimplets. A shrimp-only tank grows much faster.
- Small, regular water changes: about 10–20% weekly with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water.
Browse shrimp food and our makanan udang hiasan guide for feeding ideas.
Colour Culling: Keeping Your Grade
Neocaridina colour is a result of selective breeding. If you let every shrimp breed, the colony slowly reverts towards brown or patchy wild-type colour.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Keep only one colour line per tank (don't mix red with yellow or blue) |
| 2 | Wait until juveniles are big enough to judge colour, usually at about 1–2 months |
| 3 | Move pale, patchy or clear shrimp to a separate "cull" tank |
| 4 | Keep the most solid, deep-coloured shrimp as breeders |
| 5 | Repeat every few months |
Culled shrimp are perfectly healthy. Keep them in a planted community tank, give them to friends, or sell them as a lower grade. Never release shrimp into drains or rivers.
Common Questions About Colony Growth
My shrimp are berried but I never see babies. Shrimplets hide in moss and substrate for the first weeks. Check with a torch at night. If there really are none, look for fish predators or a filter intake without a sponge.
My colony stopped growing. Check for overcrowding, low GH, high nitrate, copper from medicines, or a predator. Sometimes the colony simply hits the limit of what the tank can feed.
Shrimp die a day after moulting. This often points to GH too low or unstable. Add minerals slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Berapa lama udang cherry bertelur sebelum menetas?
Biasanya lebih kurang 2–4 minggu, bergantung pada suhu. Dalam air yang lebih hangat seperti di Malaysia, telur selalunya menetas lebih cepat.
Kenapa udang cherry buang telur?
Biasanya sebab udang stres akibat tukar air terlalu banyak, suhu naik mendadak, kualiti air tidak baik, atau udang betina masih muda. Tukar air sedikit demi sedikit dan pastikan suhu stabil.
How many eggs do cherry shrimp have?
A typical clutch is around 20–30 eggs. Larger, mature females can carry more.
What does a saddle on a cherry shrimp mean?
It's the developing eggs inside the female's ovaries. She will usually moult, mate and become berried soon after.
Should I separate a berried cherry shrimp?
Usually not. Moving her can cause stress and egg dropping. Instead, make the main tank safe with moss, a covered filter intake and no predatory fish.
Find Neocaridina shrimp, floating plants and shrimp food from Malaysian sellers on FishyHub. Check each listing for grade and the seller's packing and delivery options.